, 1887-04-19
ITALY'S DEAD KING.
A CHANCE VISIT TO THE ETERNAL
CITY RECALLED.

DIsease-The Coming of G~arIbaIdI.
FauItIess Features Refined by Suffer-
InG-The Kings Funeral.
1t was by an odd series of chances that
l found myself in Rome in the early
spring of the year 1879, the most eventful
year for the eternal city since that season,
when Victor Emmanuel and his court
camcto take up their abode in the place OF
the Caesars. What n time of excitement it
wasi II Re Gallant Umo lay dying at
the quirinal. At the vatican his old en-
envy, Plus TX, was stricken, too, by n
mortal disease. TIL king, always n good
Catholic, it was said had sent to ask the
holy father for his blessing, and all Rome
held its breath and waited. Would the
head of the fallen power forgive his vic
torious enemy, now hat both were SO
soon to yield to the universal conquercri
Would the great soldier and the good
and gentle priest, who had waged such
bitter war, die at peace with one
another Messenger after messenger
was dispatched from the chamber of
death on Quirinal hill to the sick room of
the prisoner of the vatican. They all
came Jack silent, till at last one hnmble
monk, who had prayed long beside the
dying king, was sent, and came buck
HAAAbAA6 - iAAAA "a lAolAiloV - HNAiC. ~
vas not the king, Victor Emanuel, who
asked forgiveness for his heroic life, for
his glorious action-the freeing of Italy
but it was the man, human and faulty,
asking absolution at the bands of the. high
priest of his religion. All this may be
history, it may be fable; / cannot vouch
for it; but it was what was said, whis-
pered rather, at every street corner in
Rome. The city was shaken to its founda-
ton; the heart of the people was stirred to
its Utmost depth. Even the Indifferent
foreign colonies Of expatriuted English
and Americans were swayed by the tire
mendous passion of the moment. The
kings hour came. The great captain
passed away and the city sat and
mourned in sackcloth and ashes. A
great wall went up from the party of tho
whites, and even the blacks were magnan-
imous and silent. They, too, were soon
to lose the good man who had so long
stood at their head.
A COMPANION IL ms
Italy moIirned her fallen hero; but,
when the time had come to lay away what
was mortal of the beloved son, she rose
md clad herself in garments of somber
splendor, and made for him n funeral the
like of which the world has not often
seen. 1t was rumored that his old lieuten-
ant, Garibaldi, was coming from rocky
Caprera to take part IN the ~Obsequies.
The estrangement between the two of
later years-it had n-ver been of the
heart, but of the hcad-was utterly for
gotten, will be forgotten in history, and
Garibaldi, who had set tho crown of Italy
upon the head of Victor Emmanuel, was
coming to look once more upon the face
of his old companion in arms. This was
Whispered on the Corso, but few people
- H. 1900.
that Garibaldi would never walk or stand
again. He, too, was laid low by a griev-
Gus illness, and his death could not be far
off.
1t was by n very singular series of
chances hat | happened to go on that soft
afternoon, when the cir was full of the
whispers of the spring, up to the great
railroad station somewhere in the new
part of the city. Some friends were going
to meet u young lady who was about to
arrive on an incoming train. AS we drew
near the depot we found it surrounded by
u densn mass of humanity. Policemen
and soldiers were on every side to main
tain an order which no one seemed in the
least inclined to disturb. 1t was q very
quiet, serious faced crowd, and no one
laughed or TESTED. For more than n week
in all that great city l never heard a
laugh. We asked an officer of the Ber-
%celieri, whit stood near US, what the people
were all waiting for. "SonIe people say"
he answered, "that Garibaldi is to arrive
on the train which is now due, but who
can tel' They have been waiting for him
for two days past, and looking for him on
every train" We decided to wait until
the train should arrive, and q place was
made for me on u step inside some rail
ings, where l stood d better chance of
keeping n little breath in my body. Those
who were nearest caught the roar of the
incoming locomotive, and the tidings
spread that the train had arrived. A
shiver OF excitement shook the crowd,
which stirred and swayed and Their stood
silent again and waited. All eyes were
fixed on the impassive front of the great
stone station. A man, who must have
been n sailor, had clambered high up to a
place from which he could command q
view of the station. He it was who had
announced the coming of the train. 1t
was he who, from his high place, could
overlook the heads Of the people, and who
cried aloud, in a hoarse whisper: He has
eomeI'
THE OLD RED SHIRT
The news was felt, rather than heard,
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